Listening to the radio today on the way to work, I heard of a Pacific NW group called Operation Support Our Troops. These folks try to provide links and resources on events like welcome home rallies and other events where we can show our support for the troops.
Washington is home to many military installations, so I really look forward to using this resource to stay in touch with local events!
UPCOMING RALLIES
On Friday the USS Shoup and the USS Abraham Lincoln are returning to Everett, at 8am and 10am respectively. Then on Saturday, the 81st Armored Brigade will start returning to Ft. Lewis. There are more details about both events on the Rally information page.
This site performs a great public service - in a brief scan I found other ideas on how to provide support and assistance to the troops and their families. Also, while the site is focused on the Pacific NW, but the links page includes support groups for several regions, as well as groups with broader reach.
From the Tributes page, here's a little Armed Forces Tribute for all the men and women who serve.
WELCOME HOME TROOPS!!!
*** UPDATE ***
Blackfive beings us an article from Matt Friedman, a radio show host who received a call from a wounded Marine this past December ...
"...there were seven other soldiers that came home with me that day. We flew into JFK, and we were talking on the way back: What's going to happen? What will we be facing? Is it going to be like the Vietnam era, are there going to be people spitting at us?
"We didn't know. We had that much trepidation about it.
"We get into JFK, we step out of the breezeway into the main terminal, and directly in front of us was an elderly gentleman carrying a bag. And he immediately stopped, set his bag down, and the first thing we all thought was, 'Oh, Lord, here we go already.' He just stopped and looked at us for a second, and then tears came to his eyes and he saluted us..."
Go read the whole thing, it's worth it. This is the way it should be. |
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